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Topic: 50bucks robot (Read 906 times)

I've always wanted to build a robot by myself, and program it to do whatever I want, so first of all I would like to say a big thank you to whomever created that tutorial. But I am a little bit confused... I just want to buy those stuffs that he bought, so the exact same things, is there a list for that? Because all I saw when I was reading the tutorial is different parts, so like "you could buy that, but this one is cheaper etcetc.". But all I want it a working robot at first, so someone could please explain to me what to buy to do all the things he did? I would really appreciate it!

About the programmers, which one did he use? And what's the difference? If I buy the other one, why is it good for me? Is it faster, or...? I know I may sound stupid, I am really sorry, but I really want to get started somehow, I really love robots!

I got the AVR ISP MkII programmer, and it has worked great for me. It goes for around 35USD. You can get some cheaper, but they might require an extra step when programming, such as using PonyProg, and the cheaper ones often come as just a board, with no protective covering. The MkII is inside a plastic case, with only the connections exposed, and can program the MCU right from AVRStudio.

I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST that you order the molex connectors and housings along with your other circuitry. The tutorial suggests this as highly optional, but these will greatly simplify connecting the light sensors. You don't need the clamps to use them either. They can be attached with needle-nose pliers; it just takes a minute rather than a few seconds, and you might ruin a couple connectors the first few times you try. I didn't buy them, and ended up having to find them locally to avoid paying several dollars shipping on a $2 order.

You really want to look at some of the member suggestions rather than explicitly following the tutorial, specifically webbot's.

Know that you really might want a dremel or similar tool when modifying the servos. You're likely to mess up some gear teeth trying to file the remains of the cut tab by hand, and servos tend to vary in internal design without much warning. eg. I used the exact servos suggested in the tutorial, but the slot for the pot head was not removable, and I had to use my dremel carving tool to hollow it out (others have cut off the pot head, but I imagine that is hard to do without breaking the superglue bond).

One of the big reasons the tutorial gives options is that different parts often become available, and some become unavailable. You might also find some servos or other interchangeable components that are higher quality on sale.

Don't be overwhelmed by the MCU documentation. It's hard for any beginner to understand. The best use you'll likely get from it is when a tutorial tells you to refer to a chart in it. It's not the place to learn how to use the MCU. Use tutorials. Just stick with any of the atmega series and the code samples should work fine.

I don't get a lot of time to mess with robotics, so I'm still a beginner myself, having nearly completed the $50 robot. I just made and added the light sensors, and have left to program the bot to use them. The frustrations of getting started, and how I fixed the simple problems, are still fresh in my mind, so feel free to message me.

Thank you! So I think I will just start buying the things I can get at my local store, see if they have any of them, and maybe they can offer a similar but cheaper or a bit better, because as I understood they should work just fine.

read the whole tutorial before you buy anything and take into account items he doesnt list when building the chassis, such as velcro and the mounting brackets, which do not come with the servso. I suggest going to budget robotics and buying mounting brackets and wheels. It makes the robot look real nice. buy the hdpe plastic and cut it 4"x5". That turned out to be a great size for how I arranged my robot. If you do not have a soldering iron, take that into account. Get the mpkII for sure. It was very easy to program with it. Also, I ran into may problems when downloading the software for the programming. make sure you download the 4.19 version of avr studio. you can get it from the atmel website.

Wooh! I just now actually finished my $50 bot about 10 minutes ago. It is now a fully functioning light seeker. I ended up going a different route than many others, but it got me what I wanted. My bot follows a flashlight shone on the ground.

It's true that you can buy robot wheels and all sorts of stuff to make your bot look nice and professional, but if you ask me, this is really best as a minimalist project. My chassis is a plastic wall socket blank, and my wheels are tostitos jar lids wrapped in electrical tape. The programmer is the only piece I feel that I've spent money on my bot. I'm sure I could build a second one with the spare parts I have left over for less than $10. Either way you go, it's awesome when your bot finally does what it's supposed to. Let me know if you run into any trouble.